AIDAN Forker hopes the All-Ireland Qualifiers will erase the pain of Armagh’s devastating defeat to Fermanagh in the Ulster Championship last month.
The Orchard men bounced back with a comprehensive win over Westmeath in Mullingar on Saturday night and will face Sligo in the second round of the All-Ireland Qualifiers next weekend.
“Personally and collectively, we were very low after the Fermanagh defeat,” said Forker.
“It was our fourth consecutive year with all the build-up to the Ulster Championship and we didn’t perform.
“But that’s football, things happen like that and we can only bounce back. The Qualifiers seem to have been kind to us over the last couple of years but it’s not how we wanted it to be. We are where we are and we’re in the hat for the next round.”
Last weekend’s 11-point win over Westmeath came at a heavy price to the Ulstermen. In-form attacker Ethan Rafferty suffered a shoulder injury and has been ruled out for the rest of the summer.
But boss Kieran McGeeney hopes to have influential duo Stephen Sheridan and Paul Hughes available for the Sligo clash after injuries, while Niall Grimley is back having served a one-match ban for his red card offence against Fermanagh.
Armagh have suffered opening provincial defeats to Donegal (2015), Cavan (2016), Down (2017) and Fermanagh (2018).
Asked if this summer’s Ulster Championship defeat was harder to take than others, the Maghery clubman said: “Every year is different. You just take the hurt from this year and go at it. With the games coming thick and fast, it seems to suit us because we don’t have time to think about it.
“To be honest, we know we disappointed ourselves and the management [against Fermanagh]. We want to do ourselves justice in the Qualifiers.
“Last year we took it one game at a time and we found ourselves in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. You never know; you get another win and you’re riding on the crest of a wave and your tails are up.
“Coming down to Mullingar and winning is a good sign of the character in the team. We’re disappointed the way we played against Fermanagh but there’s more to come from us.”
Charlie Vernon, Patrick Burns and Rory Grugan had fine games against Westmeath and McGeeney will be happy with the contribution of his substitutes on Saturday night.
Ryan McShane may have lost his place in the starting line-up but the Armagh Harps man excelled when introduced in the second half.
Anto Duffy and Gavin McParland also came on and grabbed a goal apiece while Niall Rowland had a calming influence.
Forkhill’s Jemar Hall earned a rare start for the Orchard men and bagged two fine first-half points and will be pushing hard to retain his number 13 jersey against Sligo.
“Our in-house games have been very competitive,” Forker said.
“Some players were maybe resting on their laurels thinking they’re going to be in the team, and that goes for all of us.
“Jemar [Hall] has been pushing hard, so has Gavin [McParland]. Gavin came on and scored a goal and that’s the best way to react. That’s what you want – everybody chomping at the bit. Everyone feels that they’re capable of getting into the team. There are no egos in this team, no big players and everyone is working hard.”
He added: “Momentum is a massive thing in football. We’d something to prove against Westmeath and that’s only the first step but we’ve shown what we’re capable of.”
Armagh eased past Sligo in their opening Division Three game, 2-17 to 0-9, at the Athletic Grounds back in January.
Cathal Corey’s men defeated London in this year’s Connacht Championship but were outclassed by Galway in the semi-finals on June 3.
